Legendary mecha designer dreams up the future of Japan’s fire trucks

Fire truck manufacturer Yoshitani Machinery Co. recently approached mechanical designer Kunio Okawara and asked him to draw the next generation of fire engine. Of course, when you ask an artistic talent behind the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and other giant robots to make a fire truck, you’re in for a treat.

Behold, The Next Yoshitani Rescue Vehicle!

The Next Yoshitani Rescue Vehicle is a 14-meter-long, 18-wheeled monstrosity of mechanics with a high-powered search light and crane equipped with a water cannon. Also, a compact rescue vehicle can be detached from the front with its own water pump and robotic arms which can be fitted with drills and who knows what other awesomeness.

Overwhelmingly expensive to produce? You bet! Too impractical to be used in an actual emergency situation? Could be! That’s why we won’t actually see The Next Yoshitani Rescue Vehicle rolling down the streets of Japan any day soon.

Still, the mecha legend and manufacturer both hope that this enthusiastic exercise in engineering fantasy could serve as a symbol to boost the morale of those battling real fires. The designs will also be released in T-shirt form, available from nesnoo for 3,990 yen (US$40) from the beginning of November.

Now, we can only hope a baby carriage manufacturer contacts Mr. Okawara next just to see what he comes up with.